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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. roll — a list
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. march — music
  5. current — happening now
  6. branch — a division
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. bulb — for light
  10. current — electric
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. current — of water
  14. mark — a grade
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com